Foot-bar for printers&#39; chases.



PATENTED AUG. '25, 1908.

T. F. MURRAY. FOOT BAR FOR PRINTERS GHASES. APPLICATION FILED EAR. 4, 1901.

= ii If I 11 I 8 ,15 /8 2/6 I Y M ,9 l //////7/A I nmummmn\uuuwwnwWm Cir- THOMAS F. MURRAY, OF JAMAICA PLAIN, MASSAGHUSETTS.

FOOT-BAR FOR PRINTERS CHASES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1908.

Application filed March 4, 1907. Serial No. 360,339.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. MURRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jamaica Plain, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Foot-Bars for Printers Chases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in foot-bars such as are used in looking up a form in a printers chase.

The object of the invention is to provide a foot-bar which is adapted to be adjusted longitudinally of the chase in the usual manner by means of adjusting screws so that slugs at the foot of each column of type are forced by said foot-bar against the foot of the column of type, thus locking the type in position in the chase, said foot-bar having slidably mounted thereon a plate which is adapted to be yieldingly pressed against the lower ends of the rules separating the different columns of type and covering the spaces between the adjacent ends of said slugs, so that when a matrix is taken from said chase and the form locked therein a continuous depressed portion extending around the entire form will be provided, so that a continuous raised portion will extend around and inclose the impression of the type formed in said matrix, the object of this raised portion then being to obtain in the finished plate a continuous depressed portion extending around the entire form with a smooth edge without the expense and loss of time necessitated by routing or trimming said plate. To this end, my improved foot-bar is preferably formed in two parts, one adapted to be forced against the slugs which are placed between the upper edge of the foot-bar and the lower end or foot of the type and the other slidably mounted upon said foot-bar and adapted to press against the lower ends of the rules which separate the difierent columns of type, or against the type or cuts or against both rules and type and cuts. By thus mounting said plate so as to slide laterally upon the foot-bar, said foot-bar can be forced against the slugs and thus clamp the type firmly in the chase without bringing any excessive pressure to bear against the lower ends of the rules, so that said rules are free to expand longitudinally thereof when subjected to heat in the process ofobtaining the matrix, without causing said rules to buckle or to be forced against any matter,

such as cross-rules or cuts, at the upper ends Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a' plan view of a printers chase showing my improved foot-bar and yielding plate in connection therewith, and with the type removed. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, with type shown in connection therewith. Fig. 3 is an under neath plan on the same scale as in Fig. 1 of my improved foot-bar and yielding plate. Fig. 4 is a plan view partly broken away and shown in section of a portion of two columns of type with myimproved foot-bar shown in connection therewith. Fig. 5 is a detail section, broken away to save space, taken on line 55 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 8 is the-chase, 9 the type, 10, 10 the rules, 11 the side-bar, 12 the quoin, and 13 the foot-bar.

14 is an adjusting screw for adjusting the quoin 12 and 15 15 are adjusting screws for adjusting thefoot-bar longitudinally of the c ase.

16 is a plate which is adapted to slide laterally thereof upon the foot bar 13. Said plate is preferably mounted upon said footbar and is suitably guided thereon, preferably by a plurality of guide-fingers 17, 17, each of said guide-fingers being fast to the under side of the plate 16 and projecting downwardly therefrom into slots 18, 18 formed in the foot-bar 13, extending partly thereacross and opening out of the upper edge of said foot-bar or upon the edge adj acent to the type. In each of the slots 18 is located a spring 19 which presses at one end which the guide-fingers 17 are adapted to face of the foot-bar 13 and plate 16, i. 6., the

upper face of the plate 16 is flush with the bottom of the groove 22 where said groove adjoins said plate upon opposite sides of the chase.

After the type 9 has been set up in the chase it is clamped therein in the usual manner by means of the adjusting screws 14 and 15, 15, the foot-bar 13 forcing the slugs or foot plates against the different columns of type and between the rules 10, 10. It will be seen that the foot-bar 13 may be forced upwardly to any extent desired in the chase until the type is locked in said chase, and

that while adjusting the foot-bar upwardly in the chase the plate 16, which normally projects beyond the upper edge of the footbar, as shown in Fig. 2, will abut against the lower ends of the rules 10, 10, and thereafter any further adjustment of the foot-bar upwardly will leave the plate 16 stationary and bearing against the lower ends of said footbars with a yielding pressure, said yielding pressure being rendered possible by the springs 19, 19 which are interposed between said foot-bar and the guide-fingers 17, 17 fast to the plate 16.

It will be seen that after the type has been set up in the chase, as hereinbefore described, and firmly clamped therein, any heat applied to the type and to the chase in the subsequent process of obtaining the matrix from the form will not cause the rules 10, 10 to buckle by reason of expansion, as when said rules expand longitudinally thereof, it is evident that the plate 16 will yield or be forced downwardly, the springs 19, 19 being comppessed to allow of such movement of said p ate.

By reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that there is a space between the adjacent ends of each pair of slugs 21, 21 and when the ordinary foot bar is used this space remains open, so that when the matrix is obtained from the form it will be crowded down into said space and thus inequalities will be formed upon the surface of the matrix at points corresponding to these different spaces, which are objectionable for the reason that it is desirable to have an unbroken raised surface or border extending around the outside of the matrix and corresponding to the grooves 22, 22. When my improved yielding plate 16, however, is used, it will be seen that the depressed portion which extends across the upper face of said plate and forms a continuation of the grooves 22, 22 in the side bar 11 and in the side of the chase will present a smooth and unbroken surface from side to side of the chase, so that the cor responding raised portion forming a portion of said border upon the matrix which is ob tained from said form will have no depressions or inequalities therein throughout its entire extent, thus saving trimming or routing the plates.

While the drawings illustrate the slugs as rojecting slightly along their upper edges etween the rules so that the plate 16 bears against the lower ends of said rules, it is evident that the lower face of the lowermost type or cut in the chase might project downwardly below the lower ends of the rules, and in that case the yielding plate 16 would bear against said type or cuts and not against the rules. Again, it is evident that the lower ends of the rules and the type might both be in alinement with each other and, therefore, both bear against the upper edge of the plate 16, but in any case it will be understood that said plate 16 covers the space between the adjacent ends of the slugs.

Another advantage obtained by the use of my improved yielding plate in combination with the foot-bar is that a rule can be used in one piece without injuring the matter at the head of the rule. It is the custom in making up the form to use a rule in two pieces with a space between their adjacent ends in order to overcome the difficulty hereinbefore stated where a solid foot-bar is used and this takes time and also requires the very careful exercise of skilled judgment in order to know just how much space to leave between the adjacent ends. of: the two pieces of the rule. All of this trouble and uncertainty is overcome by the use of the yielding plate of my invention.

It will be evident to those skilled in this art that the use of the slugs is of greater advantage in making up the form, as it prevents the type from falling down and becoming displaced prior to the locking up of the form. By the use of my improved footbar with the yielding plate the slugs can be used by the compositor in making up the page and then, without removing the slugs, the foot-bar can be forced by the adjusting screws, in the manner hereinbefore described, to lock up the form. Without the use of the slugs and with the solid foot-bar with no yielding plate, it is evident that the f0ot-bar could bear against the lower end of the rules even when the type and cuts might not be firmly locked in the form, and in such a case as this, where the type or cuts are not firmly locked in the form the same are liable to falLout when the chase is being removed from the table and thus destroy the form and lead to a large amount of trouble loss of time and expense, but where the slugs are used with the foot-bar there is no danger of this occurring and by the combination of the foot-bar with my improved yielding plate, all of the disadvantages hereinbefore enumerated resulting from the use of the foot-bar and slugs without the yielding plate are overcome. c

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. A foot-bar for a printers chase and a plate mounted thereon adapted to bear against the ends of rules in said chase and also adapted to slide laterally upon said foot- 2. A foot-bar for a printers chase, a plate mounted thereon adapted to bear against the ends of rules in said chase, and a spring interposed between said plate and foot-bar adapted to move said plate laterally of said footbar and toward said rules.

3. A foot-bar for a printers chase, a plate slidable thereon, a plurality of guide-fin ers fast to said plate and projecting into s ots extending laterally of said foot-bar a s ring in each of said slots bearing at one end t ereof against one of said fingers, respectively, and stop-screws at the front end of each of said slots against which said fingers are adapted to abut.

4. In combination, a printers chase, a foot-bar therefor, a plate yieldingly mounted to slide laterally u on said foot-bar, and means to adjust sai foot-bar {longitudinally of said chase.

5. In combination, a printers chase, type, rules extending longitudinally of said chase, a foot-bar, means to adjust said foot-bar longitudinally of said chase, whereby said type are clamped in said chase, and a plate movable laterally relatively to said foot-bar and adapted to bear against the ends of said rules.

6. In combination, a printers chase, type, rules extending longitudinally of said chase, a foot-bar, means to adjust said foot-bar longitudinally of said chase, whereby said type are clamped in said chase, and a plate movable laterally relatively to said foot-bar and adapted to bear against the ends of said rules with a yielding pressure.

7. In combination, a printers chase, type, rules extending longitudinally of said chase, a foot bar, slugs interposed between said type and foot-bar, means to adjust said footbar longitudinally of said chase, whereby said ty e is locked in said chase, and a plate movab e laterally relatively to said foot-bar and adapted to bear against the ends of said rules with a yielding pressure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit nesses.

THOMAS F. MURRAY.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. GooDING, LoUIs A. JoNEs. 

